The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Once Upon a Time in London landed in 2022 as part of The Dua Brand's Inspired Expression collection, a line built around reimagining the house codes of niche perfumery in their own register. The name borrows from Widian's London, an extrait that earned a reputation for opulence through oud, leather, and amber. The Dua Brand's approach stays faithful to that architecture: a leather-oud composition dressed in white florals and raspberry, reshaped for wearers who want the Widian mood without the Widian markup. Launched during a year when the brand was actively expanding its inspired-expression catalog, the fragrance fits neatly into a house philosophy that prizes accessibility without giving up structure.
What makes this composition worth a second look is the balance between restraint and indulgence. Leather and oud carry weight on their own. Raspberry and violet, layered over lily-of-the-valley, lift that weight into something brighter and less expected. Vanilla and amber ground the whole thing in warmth, while cypress cuts through with a dry, resinous edge. The result is a leather-oud that reads modern rather than Middle Eastern opulence, fruity enough to feel current, floral enough to soften the tough-guy notes. It is a study in how the same ingredients can shift register depending on the proportions behind them.
The evolution
The first ten minutes feel almost easy, raspberry bright against a cool violet shimmer, with lily-of-the-valley threading through like clean laundry left near an open window. That brightness isn't fragile though. It holds longer than expected, settling into a midphase where the leather starts to creak, the oud shows up dark and slightly animal, and raspberry turns jammy instead of fresh. Cypress adds a dry, greenish backbone that keeps the sweetness honest. By the two-hour mark the florals have mostly stepped back, and what remains is a warm, resinous base. Vanilla and amber take over, the oud goes woody rather than sharp, and the musk underneath softens everything into skin. On fabric the next morning, the leather and vanilla are still there, slightly sweet, slightly smoky, like the ghost of a good night out.
Cultural impact
Once Upon a Time in London sits in The Dua Brand's Inspired Expression collection, a series that translates niche house codes for a broader audience. The Widian-inspired architecture gives it a recognizable silhouette among leather-oud compositions, while the raspberry-violet opening separates it from heavier takes in the genre. It reads as a wearable entry point into oud territory, the kind of fragrance someone tries before committing to the real thing.
